April 19. 1906 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL 



345 



•cutting queen-cells all through July, the queen had kept the 

 10 frames packed full of brood, and the colony had become 

 very populous. 



I have a few small trees or shrubs among my hives, not 

 for shade, but to help the bees mark the location of their 

 hives. They are also convenient for swarms to cluster on. 

 ' Mm of these trees gets most of the swarms. Under tin- tree 

 I had a box to set a hive on when shaking a swarm off. 

 The swarm in question had a clipped queen which I caught 

 as she came out of the hive. The swarm settled on the 

 favorite tree, in three clusters, several feet apart, each cluster 

 being a fair-sized one. Although I had the queen all right, I 

 wished to get the swarm back in its hive. I shook the tree 

 and smoked the bees, but they were extremely obstinate. 

 Having tried to swarm for a month, they did not like to be 

 balked in their purpose. As I shook them off the tree, time 

 and again, a portion of them kept falling on the box below. 

 I used the smoker on these, but only a few would take wing. 

 •The most of the bees crawded down the sides of the box on 

 the grass or small bushes in the rear. After a time I man 

 aged to get a fair portion of them in the air and saw many 

 of them going into their own hive. Then T went to the house 

 for a short time. and. on coming back. I took a brief survey 

 of the yard and went into the shop to work. 



About an hour afterward I heard a sound of swarming. 

 I found bees going into the hive which had swarmed. I went 

 out to the tree where the swarm had clustered, and found a 

 good part of the swarm still in the box. where they had been 

 feu- fully l'j hours. On smoking them again they went back 

 to their hive at once. Detroit City, Minn. 



(Eomxmtton 

 Proceedings 



Report of the Northern Michigan Convention 



BY IRA D. BARTLETT. 



The Northern Michigan Bee-Keepers' Association' met at 

 Kalkaska. April 4 and 5. 1906. 



Pres. Geo. H. Kirkpatrick called the convention to order 

 at 2 p. m., on April 4. 



The Secretary's report and also the Treasurer's report 

 were read and approved. 



Mr. Hutchinson moved that we pay $1.00 and join the 

 National Association in a body. Motion was withdrawn 



Mr. Irish — Shall we he entitled to the rebate if we do 

 not all pay in $1.00, but only those who do not belong? 



Mr. Beacham made a motion and it was seconded, that 

 we who do not belong to the National pay $1.00 tor National 

 and local. Carried. 



Management of Out-Apiaries. 



E. D. Townsend, of Remus, then read a paper on the 

 management of out-yards. Mr. Townsend said that one per- 

 son with one good, efficient helper, could manage any number 

 of yards. He feeds in the fall about 25 pounds to each colony 

 if needed; puts his bees in clamps, and leaves them until early 

 spring; supplies plenty of combs and keeps down increase; 

 advises a system so simple that you can advise your assistant 

 and he can understand and go on with the work without your 

 ice. Ten days after the flow stops he extracts. Each 

 yard is supplied with a complete outfit, saying that it doe. not 

 pay to move implements from one yard to another. 



Mr. Kitson — How many stories high docs Mr. Townsend 

 tier I 



Mr. Townsend — One to live stories. 



Mr. Beacham says that he would have to extract tv> a 

 year, as he could not distinguish the strong-flavored from the 

 light-mild honey. 



Mr. Townsend meant that he extracted after each flow. 



Elmer Hutchinson asked what success he had with bee- 

 escap 



Mr. Townsend replied that he did no 

 extracted honey. 



Mr. Hutchinson then read a letter from a dealer 

 ol barrels, advising the use of them, bul to dry them 

 ighly. 



Mr. Beacham said, "i do not want' any barn 



Mr. Kirkpatrick asked Mr. Townsend how he kept the 



queen out of the surplus receptacle. He applies all receptacles 

 on top instead of raising up supers and putting under. Mr. 

 Chapman always uses excluders to keep the queen below, but 

 raises brood from brood-nesl I per, and destroys queen- 



cells in time. Mr. Smith says be always uses excluders. Mr. 

 Beacham uses queen-excluders, but does not raise any brood- 

 combs out of broi id-nest. 



Mr. Kitson — Does Mr. Townsend clip his queens? 



Mr. Townsend — No. 



Mr. Coveyou asked if it would be advisable to put an 

 excluder under the brood-nest. 



"Very few have tried it." 



The National Association and Northern Michigan. 



The Secretary then read a letter from N. E. France, who 

 asked that this question be discussed: "How can the National 

 Association be of more value to Northern Michigan mem- 

 bers?" and asked that a reply be sent him. 



Mr. Townsend — Reduce the transportation rate on bees. 



Mr. Beacham — The rate on honey is too high. 



Mr. Bartlett — First class rate on beeswax. 



Mr. Beacham said that he considered the National report 

 as highly instructive, and that the Secretary deserves great 

 credit for his efforts. Mr. Coveyou expressed the same 

 opinion. 



Mr. Beacham asked the chair to appoint a committee of 

 three to draft resolutions to be sent to the National. Messrs. 

 Hutchinson, Townsend and Chapman were appointed. 



Mr. Coveyou — How can the Northern Michigan Bee- 

 Keeper.' Association be of more value to its members? If 

 we could get together we might buy supplies cheaper. 



Marketing Honey. 



Mr. Chapman said, "Give away samples to prospective 

 customers, and you will be well repaid" — at least that has been 

 bis experience, as he received many nice orders later on after 

 doing so. 



Mr. Smith said. "Take a 60-pound can of honey with a 

 honev-gate. and step into a kitchen and say, 'I want to give 

 you a sample of honey-.' and draw out a little and let them 

 taste it;" and his experience is tli at you will sell them a 

 quantity right there, providing your honey is the best. 



Mr. Kirkpatrick said, "Do not sell to the consumer at the 

 same price you would to the wholesale trade." He sells only 

 in $1.00 or more quantities. Mr. Kitson sells in quart jars. 

 Mr. Beacham sells in quart jars at 35 cents. Mrs. Morrow- 

 says that her trade demands small packages. Mr. Smith 

 thinks it pays to pick up cans previously delivered with 

 honey, as it pays the expense of the trip. 



Mr. Root said. "Try to educate your customers to use 

 granulated honey, and to know that it is pure;" he also said 

 that he had samples which be would be glad to eive to those 

 wanting them. 



Mr. Root has used paper oyster pails very satisfactorily 

 as a package to sell honey in. 



At the evening session Pres. Kirkoatrick, in the absence 

 of Rev. Gray, showed some lantern slides of the A. I. Root 

 Co.. after which he showed some of his own making. The 

 light of the machine not being very bright, the effect was not 

 the best. He concluded by showing a slide of live bees, 

 which was very amusing and interesting. 



Extracted Honey and Its Quality. 



Pres. Kirkpatrick then read a paper entitled, "Extracted 

 Honey and Its Quality." He said. "Place colonies in a loca- 

 tion sheltered from wind, and in a good white honey locality. 

 He prefers the shallow hives, and has over 200 of them at 

 inr,, in. i!e tiers up when the hives are full of bees and 

 brood, and raises the frames from brood-nest to super above 

 to get strong colonies. He says his bees cap more readily, 

 and he gets more uniform quality of honey. He can keep 

 different varieties of honey separate more easily with the 

 shallow super. Tie believes that the red raspberry yields the 

 very best honey, ami says that the honey not capped should 

 never he sold to the consumer or put on market for sale to 

 such. He urged that quality makes the difference between 

 success and failure of a bee-kc per; that is. produce only the 

 very best, and your succi ured. 



A Member— If 1 had not heard Mr. Kirkpatrick read 

 that paper, I should have said, "That was Mr Chap 



Mr. Beacham also advocates the shallow frames for the 

 production ol \ No. 1 extra. he gets ; 



ripened honey. 



Mr. Chapman has had frames and Si awn out, 



tilled, and capped in 7 days, and believes that if th 



